Tuesday, May 31, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #22, Brian Boyle.

Take the good: The much-discussed skating lessons clearly helped as Boyle won himself a spot on the Rangers in camp. He had just four goals and two assists in '09-10 and blew both of those numbers away in '10-11. He played every single game in the campaign and shocked the world with 21 goals. He actually led the team in shots with 218 and had 11 points in 12 games in December. When put in the middle between Brandon Prust and Ruslan Fedotenko, Boyle helped provide the Rangers with one fantastic forechecking fourth line. Of course, they were used as the third - if not second - but that is the subject of another post. He combined with Mats Zuccarello to make one funny sight gag.

Take the bad: Boyle closed with just one goal in his last 24 games (including playoffs) despite firing off 74 shots. And he had all of three assists during that span. For all of his size, Boyle rarely planted himself in the slot and he is clearly not a fighter. He also won less than half of the faceoffs he took (48.5%).

Take them both and then we have: A player who took a huge stride in his career. Boyle earned nearly twice the ice time that he had the season before but the extra work and the extra responsibility wore on him. Teams started playing him tougher over the course of the year and, instead of simplifying his game, he tried to be fancy and he is not a fancy player. At no point - ever - should Boyle be attempting a blind pass or a spin-o-rama. The realization of that fact and a strong summer of training will help him prove his 35 points were no fluke.

Monday, May 30, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #23, the captain Chris Drury.

Take the good: The Rangers respect their captain. Drury has lost a step and whatever scoring ability he had back in Buffalo but he - when healthy - continued to do all he could to help the team. He blocked some shots, laid some hits, took some faceoffs - Dru actually had a 65.5% faceoff winning percentage in the playoffs. Oh, and Dru scored a sweet goal in his first game back from his second injury - the last game of the regular season.

Take the bad: One goal in 24 games? And he even averaged 36 seconds of power play time ... what was Tortorella thinking? Drury missed 57 games due to his two injuries, but those weren't his fault and his absence actually helped the team grow. But he likely rushed back from both his bad finger and his bum knee because the team lost Ryan Callahan to injuries of his own. It was a selfless act to return, but Drury wasn't able to even be a shadow of the player he was three seasons ago. And when asked what he craves most, he said hot oil pizza and not another Stanley Cup. The captain should be hungry for victory, not for lunch.

Take them both and then we have: John Tortorella's Tim Taylor - a plugging fourth liner captain who leads by example. Just this time around, he is one that happened to make $8 million last year. In Tampa Taylor was the placeholder, donning the C during the span of time between Dave Andreychuk's retirement and Vincent Lecavalier's maturation. Now, Jagr was no Andreychuk but Ryan Callahan can be the kind of guy Lecavalier has turned into - a smart, strong, two-way player capable of leading his team deep into the playoffs. We won't know until Drury has either relinquished the captaincy, finished out his contract and moved on or was bought out by the brass. Let's hope we find out sooner rather than later.

Friday, May 27, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #24, Ryan Callahan.

#24's #s: 60 games, 23 goals, 25 assists, -7, 46 PIM.

Take the good: It would be easy to throw out the stats - Cally had set career highs in goals, assists and points despite missing 22 games, blah blah - but a quote sums it all up. I have always been of the belief that there is no higher praise than that from an enemy and after Callahan broke his ankle blocking a shot from Zdeno Chara, Chara told ESPN, "Callahan is a top-six guy, yet he still plays with so much heart and grit. You don't see many guys that throw their bodies around to block shots like that. He plays the game so hard. You have to respect a guy like that. I just hope that he's OK long term."

Take the bad: When Chara shoots the puck, get the hell out of the way! There is being brave and there is being stupid. Don't throw your life away young man! That's a joke, and is only intended as a joke. But it is something to fill this space as there was hardly any bad in Callahan's game.

Take them both and then we have: A young player who took another step towards seizing one of the biggest, toughest, most infuriating, most rewarding jobs in professional sports - captaincy of the New York Rangers. He showed a terrific combination of leadership, selflessness and skill this season and hopefully will only get better. He isn't there yet - his appearance on crutches before the Atlanta game should have inspired his team to a far better showing (they lost 3-0, to the Thrashers) - but it is plain to see that that C will adorn his sweater at some point. He's won us fans over, he just has to win his teammates the same way. And Chris Drury has to go, there is that too.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #25, Chad Kolarik.

#25's #s: 4 games, no goals, one assist, -1, 2 PIM.

Take the good: Kolarik got the call in January and made a good impression in his first game - he played 8:48, assisted on Brandon Prust's goal and had four shots on net.

Take the bad: For a supposed scorer, those were the only four shots he had in his four game NHL cup of coffee. The guy may have been solid in the A - three goals and two assists in five playoff games with the Whale, after collecting 17 and 14 in 36 after his move from Springfield - but needed to show more to stay in the show. And it wasn't like he saw Corey Locke-like minutes - he played 11:47, 9:13 and 6:43 in his other three games, and even saw a little power play time. Brad Smyth anyone?

Take them both and then we have: An expiring contract. When the rough and tumble Dane Byers saw the writing on the wall that he wasn't in the Rangers plans he demanded a trade and he got one. In return we got the scorer Kolarik, an UFA this summer. But, if not for the injury bug that took Dubi and Feds in January, this guy wouldn't have seen the NHL any more than Byers would have. He could re-up and help the Whale along or head overseas but otherwise it isn't likely he will see Broadway anymore.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #26, Erik Christensen.

Take the good: Dude has some skills, no denying that. His lone playoff point was one purty snipe (or one awful mistake by the goaltender, depending on how you look at it). Five shootout goals in eight attempts, three that won games. The Rangers were 9-1-0 when he tallied a goal. He had a streak of 12 points in nine games from February 25th to March 20th.

Take the bad: Mr. Softie the Backstabber? Oh where to start? He called out his own teammate in public, an unforgivable sin for someone with no standing; Mark Messier could do it, Erik Christensen? No. On a team that blocked so many shots, Christy put his body in front of 11 over 63 games (two in the playoffs). He averaged just over two minutes of power play time per regular season game and managed seven power play points. Seven. He had an 11 game goal drought as the regular season came to an end, his second longest streak (13 games straddling his late December injury). Actually, after said injury Christy didn't block a single shot in 25 of the next 26 games. The whole idea was to keep him around because of his chemistry with Gaborik but Gabby had an incredibly disappointing 23 goals (including playoffs); Christy assisted on five.

Take them both and then we have: Brad Richards' roster spot? He is under contract for one more year so he can spend the season being soft and underachieving with Grachev in Connecticut.

Monday, May 23, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #27, Ryan McDonagh.

Take the good: For his first professional campaign, McDonagh was remarkably consistent. He put up nearly the same numbers in the NHL that he did in the A; he played 38 games in Hartford, had one goal and seven assists and was +1 with 12 PIM. But the numbers don't really tell the story: McD combined with Michael Sauer to give the Rangers a surprisingly stable and shockingly confident second defensive pairing. It was spectacular seeing him score his first NHL goal against the Devils, at the Garden.

Take the bad: Unlike Sauer, McD did have rookie moments. Perhaps they were due to the speed of the play around him, the fact he played far more games than he had with Wisconsin or were due to simply simple mental lapses, who knows? As long as he learned from them we will be ok. And while Matt Cooke's elbow was not his fault - at all - did he just have no idea that Cooke was coming?

Take them both and then we have: A reason to be thankful for Scott Gomez? Slam Sather all you like, he turned the MexiCan't (his own mistake) into Higgins - who became Prust - as well as late camp cut Pavel Valentenko and McD. At the time many said that Ryan was the steal of the deal and he proved it to be true, far faster than expected.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #28, Bryan McCabe.

Take the good: All six of his regular season points came on the power play, which has to be a success compared to the fact that he had all of five power play points in 48 games with the Panthers. His goals came against the Isles and Flyers and we hate them, so that's good.

Take the bad: McCabe's thought process was as slow as his skating and he proved that he was not the man-advantage answer. Over his 24 total games the Rangers power play was 12-85, a 14% success rate that, for comparison, matched Columbus' season mark; the Blue Jackets ranked 29th in the NHL. McCabe saw more than three minutes of power play ice time in 19 of his 24 games; in the other five the team had just a total of five power plays. He saw less than 17:49 minutes of total ice time in 16 of his 19 regular season games (six were less than 15) and yet come playoff time he didn't play less than 17:50. Seeing as he hadn't played in the postseason since before the lockout and he was clearly not capable of containing the Caps, that makes no sense whatsoever.

Take them both and then we have: A failed experiment. The idea was good - MDZ failed and the Rangers needed a defenseman who could be a power play threat - but the execution was poor. The power play unit became even more predictable as the team insisted on setting him up for a big shot. When he didn't shoot it - which was too often - he could be pressured into choking up the puck. And adding a so-called 'veteran leader' that has never led anyone to any kind of success is not a recipe for success. The Rangers gave up Tim Kennedy and a third round draft pick in the coming draft for him. Kennedy could have helped the Whale in the playoffs (and thus helped get our prospects more valuable experience) while the pick ... we'll never know ...

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #29, Chad Johnson.

Take the good: Chad can tell all of his friends he played in the NHL this year.

Take the bad: They will still likely mock him for his performance. Johnson's lone NHL appearance came in that March 31st abomination on the Island. He came in to play the third period after Hank got the hook for allowing four straight goals in the second. Here are the lowlights, Chad is in at the 1:55 mark. DosNueve did not have John Tortorella's confidence and did nothing to gain it. Down at the Whale he played 40 games, had a 16-19-3 record with a 2.72 gaa and .901 save %.

Take them both and then we have: Perhaps the next Ranger goalie headed to Italy. Matt Zaba went that route this year after realizing he had no future with the franchise and Chad might soon follow, or at least head elsewhere. He is an RFA this summer and it is hard to imagine the Blueshirts bringing him back. Cam Talbot put up decent numbers behind Dov Grumet-Morris at the Whale, the Rangers signed Jason Missiaen, they have the rights to Scott Stajcer (who helped Owen Sound win the OHL title to advance to the Memorial Cup) and are all but certain to draft at least another goaltender this summer.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to the King, #30, Henrik Lundqvist.

Take the good: Hank led the NHL with 11 shutouts (a career high for him) and won more than 35 games for the fifth straight season. The Rangers got a lot of press for all of their blocked shots but that resulted in a lot of pucks deflected on goal and yet Hank still held his ground. He stood up to shot after shot (he had 18 games where he faced 35 or more) and finally physically defended his crease when he took down Max Pacioretty. Hank did not face any of the random ailments that popped up over the last few seasons (hips, headaches, knees, whatever) and gave the young Rangers the strong netminding they needed. He only got the hook three times all year and was strong enough to survive the stretch run without a real backup.

Take the bad: Because of the goal deficient team in front of him, Hank had to be close to perfect for the team to win and, thus, every one of his mistakes were magnified. And when he had bad nights, the Blueshirts were screwed - they lost every game where he allowed more than three goals. He - and the team for that matter - couldn't build any kind of momentum: he had just one win streak more than two games (a rip of five in mid-March). Torts had to sit him down at one point in November to get extra work with Benoit.

Take them both and then we have: The King. He played in 68 games, a total less than he had in any of the previous four seasons. The less work was ice but did not pay off as he couldn't Jon Casey the Rangers past the Caps in the playoffs. The occasional soft goals became more infrequent this season, perhaps as a result of his maturation or increased confidence in himself and his defenders. He survived the Rozsival era and made it though the MDZ mistakes only to have to deal with the defensively lacking Bryan McCabe. The last time Hank had a fully capable corps of defensemen in front of him he won the Olympic gold medal so let's hope that he will have some more help this fall.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

As you've heard, the Rangers lost one of their own this weekend when Derek Boogaard passed away at his apartment in Minneapolis. He was just 28 years old.

After writing and re-writing this, there is simply no proper way for me to eulogize Boogey. To wax poetic would be disingenuous. The last words I wrote about Derek Boogaard were harsh, calling him a "lumbering loser." And I stand by them because he was, but that doesn't make the loss any less tragic.

Events like these are harsh slaps back to reality for when we get too myopic over this game we love. There was far more to the man than what we saw on Broadway this year, and far more even than the few lines in his obit about his charitable work imply. To see the depth of his impact just go over to the Hockey Wilderness and you can see how the massive man affected a massive number of people.

As for myself, I have just one good memory of the man and it wasn't a direct interaction: I remember Sean Avery being Sean Avery during warmups and yapping across the red line on at least three occasions. You could see just when Avery went too far. The opposing player got mad and then, like magic, the Boogeyman appeared and slid between the two. He didn't say anything. He didn't push Avery back. He didn't shove the opposing player. He just stood there on the red line with a little smirk, looking anywhere but at either of the agitated parties. It was hilarious.

Sincerest best wishes to his families, those by blood and those by puck. RIP Boogeyman.

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #31, Alex Frolov.

#31's #s: 43 games, 7 goals, 9 assists, 4, 8 PIM.

Take the good: Frolov's contract was only for one season. The Rangers posted a record of 4-1-1 when he tallied a goal ... do the math, he scored in six games. Six. The Russian surprisingly wasn't allergic to backchecking. He renewed the art of the wraparound.

Take the bad: He couldn't score on the damned move. Frolov teased us with a sexy goal on Fatso during the preseason and then proceeded to stink up the joint with halfhearted wraparound after halfhearted wraparound. The supposed goal scorer had droughts of seven, 10 and 11 games. He averaged over two minutes of power play time a game over his 43 and yet managed one, ONE power play point - an assist. He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament, a second degree sprain of his medial collateral ligament and a medial meniscus tear in his right knee on January 8th at St. Louis ... sadly, this probably belongs in the good as it gave ice time to players who may have a future with the club.

Take them both and then we have: The Rangers hoped a change of scenery from L.A. could solve his slumping and it simply didn't work. Perhaps Avangard Omsk in the KHL will have better luck.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #32, Dale Weise.

#32's #s: 10 games, no goals, no assists, -1, 19 PIM.

Take the good: One of four Rangers drafted in '08 to play on Broadway this season (following MDZ, Step and Grachev), Weise showed a willingness to fight for the puck and fight for his teammates. He beat up Dirtbag Dan Carcillo in one of three tussles over his 10 games. A solid forechecker, Weise had seven hits in the Rangers 7-0 win over the Leafs. And ya have to admit, this was pretty damned funny.

Take the bad: For all of his hitting and pressing the action, Weise didn't record a single point over his stop in the show. He didn't show enough ability to earn Tortorella's trust and thus played less than seven minutes in seven of his 10 games and more than 10 minutes in just the aforementioned Toronto blowout - much of it after the game was well out of hand. And, as you can see, he got his ass handed to him by Luke Schenn in a fight in that same match. Down on the farm he did manage 38 points in 47 regular season games but was a Whale-worst -14.

Take them both and then we have: Tell me if you have heard this before: a talented grinder with a bit of a scoring touch battles hard in the AHL and earns a shot in the NHL. Playing the part of Danny Lacroix, Derek Armstrong and Dane Byers this season was Dale Weise. The other three guys had long journeyman careers (Byers' is still on-going) and the Rangers already have a better version in Brandon Prust so who knows how long Weise's stay in the organization will last. He turns 23 this August so there is still time for him to improve and avoid that fate.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #36, Mats Zuccarello.

Take the good: That Mats made it to the NHL this season is good because the transition from European puck to North American can not be understated. Once he was called up, the undersized Zuccarello showed a wonderful fearlessness that peaked with big checks on Hal Gill and Zdeno Chara. At the same time he was Lady Byng-esque in his lack of regular season penalties. His first NHL goal was an overtime game-winner - can't get much better than that. He also displayed good on-ice vision and a penchant for the skills competition, as shown by his five shootout goals (on nine attempts).

Take the bad: Of course, Zuke's four shootout misses came over his last five attempts, showing that opposing goaltenders learned how to stop his one move. MZA averaged 2:32 of power play time and came away with nine power play assists - no goals. His obvious reluctance to shoot made his work with the man advantage predictable. Tortorella's insistence on juggling his lines clearly hurt the kid as he couldn't form much chemistry and, as a pass-first guy, that led to his eventual disappearance, benching and demotion. The only person who Zuccarello worked well with - Derek Stepan - hit a wall and couldn't help propel him back to relevance.

Take them both and then we have: A young player in need of more polishing. Zuccarello needs to realize how far he has come and use that confidence to take him further. The comparison that always comes up - MZA vs Marty St. Louis - still holds as St. Louis averaged 0.51 points per game under his first season with our fair coach Tortorella - Zuccarello averaged 0.55. A broken leg limited St. Louis to 35 points in 53 games in year two, so let's hope for better fortunes for Zuke.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #38, Michael Sauer.

Take the good: No, seriously, there wasn't much that Sauer did this season that wasn't good. After his all-too-short three game audition in 2009, Sauer battled back from injury last season and spent the rest of it in the bus league. In the fall he beat Pavel Valentenko for a job in camp and stuck around. Since that time Sauer made himself a cornerstone of the defensive corps, battling night in and night out as arguably the most consistent member of the Blueshirt blueline. He earned more and more minutes in bigger spots and he did it with simple, strong play. His positioning was great, he was physical and he formed the rarest of Ranger qualities - chemistry - with Ryan McDonagh after McD was called up midseason. There were just two games out of the nearly 50 that the two played together where they looked their age (one vs. Philly, one vs. the Isles).

Take the bad: As mentioned, it is hard to find much in the negative column when it came to this kid. Sauer should have used his powerful shot more often. He could stand to improve on his fisticuffs, pick his spots better and select his opponents more carefully; Hockeyfights has his record at a mediocre 2-2-3 and I recall him fighting Sens mini-goon Zack Smith for no real reason. And, when he had a chance to cream PK Subban, he let him slip away.

Take them both and then we have: The start of hopefully a long, successful career on Broadway. There wasn't a single other Ranger that not only met but surpassed expectations like Sauer did. Sure no one thought Boyle could score entering this season, but Brian was a first round pick once upon a time so the team hoped he had it in him. A third rounder back in 05, Sauer survived his demotion from two seasons ago and a history of injuries to come back stronger and seize a permanent spot on the blueline.

Monday, May 9, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #39, Brodie Dupont.

#39's #s: 1 game, no goals, no assists, Even, no PIM.

Take the good: Dupont was finally given a cup of coffee in the NHL.

Take the bad: That cup lasted seven shifts for a total of 5:34 and he was benched for the entire third period of what would be a 3-2 shootout win over Atlanta. During that span Dupont recorded one shot and two hits. It is hard to fault him for not doing more offensively as he was saddled with Drury and Newbury on an energy line but he needed to do something to stand out and that simply didn't happen.

Take them both and then we have: A restricted free agent who is unlikely to be qualified by the front office. Picked six spots ahead of Jon Quick in the third round of the 2005 draft, Dupont skates hard, chips in points, defends his zone and his teammates well but just hasn't swayed the brass to give him a real chance. The kid has busted his ass for the organization for four years and amassed five minutes and 34 seconds of time in the show. The writing is on the wall.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Sean Avery teamed up with the Human Rights Campaign this weekend to publicize his support for marriage equality - the ability for gays to get married like everyone else. Media and blogs alike have picked up the story with the same basic slant: 'Sean Avery is known for being a scumbag but hey, look, he is doing something nice.'

Avery's reputation, as many True Blue Ranger fans will attest to, is completely unjust. There is no denying that he is a pest of the highest magnitude on the ice - a waterbug that nips and annoys the opponent to distraction. That's his job, that's what he does and - when unshackled by his coach - he does it pretty damn well.

Avery's on-ice obnoxiousness led to a harsh welcome to Dallas. The locker room leaders of the Stars - Turco, Modano and Morrow - all publicly spoke out against his signing and created an untenable environment. Avery and Steve Ott teamed up to create a two-punch of pestiferous play but it was Avery that was consistently called on the carpet. With Modano, Morrow and Turco all struggling through their season, Avery tried to spark the team and get a little animosity going for what would be a lifeless affair against the Flames, an almost certain loss for the Stars. The infamous 'Sloppy Seconds' interview was all Avery's detractors needed to get him off the ice.

The PC Police went wild and Avery was banished to counseling. Now, most grown adults - and even most 12 year old girls Mr. Bettman - were hardly offended by Avery's words but he paid his penance just the same. He did it quietly, he did not voice his dissent over the utter absurdity of the entire situation.

Afterwards Sather set up Avery's move back to New York and the player returned to his old stomping grounds supposedly a changed man. And yet Avery went back to doing the same kind of things he did during his first stint in New York: charity work and fan interaction. His initial tenure saw him help out Ice Hockey In Harlem and do the unthinkable - sit with the diehards to watch a game. Since Avery has been back he continues to interact with fans and has upped his charity work. He went on Jimmie Fallon to promote Career Gear, an organization that gives suits so people can go to job interviews. He has regularly joined his teammates in supporting the Garden of Dreams (remember this?). He took his clothes off for skin cancer.

As many of us Avery fans have said: he has the reputation that Matt Cooke deserves, and sadly that reputation has unjustly carried off-ice for years. It is about time that that is changed. Despise the player all you like - and we hope you do, because that means he is doing his job - but don't slur the person. What have you done for society lately?

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #42, Artem Anisimov.

Take the good: Arty did not go through a sophomore slump. He put up 16 more points, 29 more hits and 66 more shots then he did during his rookie campaign. When he was assertive, he really was quite impressive. He showed off his talent time and time again. His overtime game-winner against Buffalo back in November was a beaut, as was this delightful tally against Pittsburgh. Formed good chemistry with Callahan and Dubinsky to give the Rangers a solid home-grown line and satisfying all of us who have waited for so very long to see blue blood back in Blueshirts.

Take the bad: Arty wasn't that assertive nearly often enough. As with his rookie season, he played his best when he skated alongside other players willing to do the heavy lifting - first Shelley/Prust, then Dubi/Cally. When Cally went down with injury, Arty went with him. The Russian youngster was easily marginalized by physical opposition. He was all too willing to play on the perimeter. Just eight of his 44 points came on the power play despite seeing an average of 1:47 of ice time with the man advantage on the season.

Take them both and then we have: Anisimov seems to have the desire to be better and to contribute more but not the willingness to pay the price to do it. If he adds 15 pounds of muscle and more maturity he really could be a star. But we are getting to the crossroads of his development - is he going to grow into a Mats Sundin-type impact player or will he end up like Viktor Kozlov - capable but unextraordinary?

Saturday, May 7, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #43, Marty Biron.

#43's #s: 17 games (15 started), 8-6-0, 2.13 gaa, .923 save %.

Take the good: Biron proved me wrong - I dogged the signing last July 1st and by the middle of the season admitted he was a big part of the team. Luckily we were given a look at how big not only by kind words by the beat writers but by Biron's assist to Wolski in the Carolina shootout. He had the utmost trust of his teammates and his coach and gave Hank the extra rest that the King needed. When Torts wanted to give Hank more time with Benoit back in November, Biron stepped in and performed quite well. He didn't have a single shutout but he gave up less than three goals in 10 of 15 starts - which was huge because the Rangers didn't score more than two goals in 10 of his 15 starts.

Take the bad: Getting hurt in practice is certainly not his fault but that definitely qualifies as bad- doubt Hank would have had to start 31 straight games to end the season had Marty been healthy. You figure Biron would have gotten the start on the Island in the 6-2 loss on March 31st and perhaps would have came away with a better result. Especially considering how he would have been extra motivated to avenge his performance back on Dec. 2nd when he blew a 2-0 Ranger lead by giving up three straight goals to his former teammates before being yanked. That was bad but Biron was astoundingly awful in his second start, allowing five goals to Atlanta - three of which were easily stoppable.

Take them both and then we have: A good backup for Henrik Lundqvist and a definite improvement over Steve Valiquette. His affable nature endeared him to the room and he did not give any public indication of being unhappy to be relegated to being a No. 2. Of course, that is better than being one of three on Long Island but still. Given that Torts has no faith in Chad Johnson and the few other goaltenders in the organization are far from NHL worthy (at this point at least), Biron is a good stopgap while the team finds and develops Hank's successor.

Friday, May 6, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #44, Steve Eminger.

Take the good: When the Rangers first traded Voros for him I was less than pleased but Eminger did have his moments - primarily in that span when Rozsival was out with injury. He wasn't the decent puck mover that was hoped for but rather a capable, positional seventh defender. He blocked 103 shots, had at least one hit recorded in 60 of his 65 games and the Rangers posted a record of 4-1-1 when he tallied a point.

Take the bad: That shows that he only put up points in six games - his production dropped for the second straight season and it was his lowest total in the five seasons where he played at least 60 games. Eminger had several nights when he had clearly checked out and was caught flatfooted left and right. Despite being a veteran of more than 300 games when he got here, it did not appear (from outside of the locker room) that he added any kind of leadership. Eminger lost Tortorella's trust and played less than 13 minutes five of his last six games and didn't dress once in the playoffs. In the midFebruary come-from-behind win over Pittsburgh Eminger was responsible for one of the early goals against and Tortorella benched him. He ended up with just over four minutes of total ice time while Staal saw nine seconds shy of a half hour.

Take them both and then we have: Someone with no future with the franchise. Matt Gilroy was not a better player for playing alongside him. Eminger came in, worked pretty hard and did his job but that is simply not enough for a seventh defenseman - especially one making over a million bucks. There are surely better bargains out there as a Jason Strudwick-type guy (one who could actually skate though) is very necessary for the young corps of Blueshirt Blueliners.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #45, Kris Newbury.

#45's #s: 11 games, no goals, one assist, -1, 35 PIM.

Take the good: Newbury was an energy player who knew his role and did his damnedest to earn a spot on the team. He got into three fights over his short time with the big club and Hockeyfights has him winning two of them. And Newbury won 60.7 percent of the faceoffs he took, second only to Sean Avery (of all people) on the Rangers.

Take the bad: I was livid over two of his fights as Newbury's exuberance caused him to jump the other player instead of honourable squaring off. Despite forechecking well, he managed just six shots over his 11 games and came away with one assist. He had no recorded hits in three of his games - completely unacceptable for a grinder.

Take them both and then we have: A perfectly adequate minor league callup. Newbury wins faceoffs, isn't a big a defensive liability and adds energy. He isn't going to score goals, he isn't going to wow crowds, he isn't very big ... he will stand up for his teammates and do his job. Can't ask for anything more.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to the second #86, Wojtek Wolski.

#86's #s: 37 games, 6 goals, 13 assists, +12, 8 PIM.

Take the good: Wolski scored the game-tying goal to force overtime against Carolina and listened to Marty Biron to win it in the shootout. Wolski had the lone goal in my favourite game of the season, the 1-0 win over Vancouver. He had the lone goal in my most loathed game of the season, the 3-1 loss in Game 5 vs. the Caps. And he assisted on the two Prospal goals that sparked the unlikely comeback against the Bruins.

Take the bad: Wolski had 18 points in the 18 games after his trade from Colorado to Phoenix last season and was a force for the Yotes in the playoffs. He had 19 points in 36 games after his trade to NY and was a nonfactor against the Caps. Wolski's inconsistencies resulted in a wild variation in ice time - he went from a low of 7:43 to a high of 21:22. He was often utterly invisible when he was on the ice and he added very little when included on the power play - just three of his 19 points came with the man advantage. He had goal droughts of 10 and 17 games.

Take them both and then we have: Wolski was the same maddening talent that tortured Colorado fans and drove Don Maloney to deal him away. He wasn't grossly incompetent in his own end but he was not a physical player in the least. All of that adds up to the Pole being a prime candidate to be bought out or traded away before next season. But no matter what, his tenure was a success - it meant the Rozsival era was over.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to the first of two #86s, Jeremy Williams.

#86's #s: 1 game, no goals, no assists, even, no PIM.

Take the good: In his one appearance back in October Williams saw just six shifts for a total of 3:43, just 16 more seconds than Boogaard in the same game. Um, no Devils scored while he was on the ice so that's good, right?

Take the bad: No Rangers scored while he was on the ice so that's bad, right? But seriously, in Hartford he scored 32 goals, 15 on the power play and still the Blueshirts didn't bring him back to Broadway. That says something.

Take them both and then we have: A guy who probably should seek employment overseas next season, unless he truly enjoys the bus league. Williams - a scorer - couldn't make it on the Maple Leafs and couldn't make it on a desperate Ranger team desperate for goals so perhaps the NHL dream is almost over. Might as well see the world and make some money, right?

Monday, May 2, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #91, Evgeny Grachev.

#91's #s: 8 games, no goals, no assists, -3, no PIM.

Take the good: Grachev saw limited ice time (averaged just 7:42) on lower lines and actually wasn't out of place as a grinder. He was not a defensive liability and showed good size and strength. He played 73 games for the Whale and ended up +21, furthering the argument that he isn't incompetent in his own zone.

Take the bad: Grachev had just 16 goals and 22 assists in those 73 games, not the numbers of a scorer. And he wasn't good in the postseason when the Whale fell to Portland - he played all six games but had no goals, two assists and went -2. And he had all of three shots on goal in his eight games up with the Rangers (lucky to find a photo of one of them, huh?).

Take them both and then we have: In the one Whale game I saw Grachev was invisible and all firsthand accounts say that he continues to be maddeningly inconsistent. After putting up 80 points in 60 games with Brampton, Grachev leapt to the pros and made us leap to the conclusion that he would be the power forward scorer we had hoped Cherepanov would be. The 21 year old has some time but is looking a lot like another big Russian Ranger - Vladimir Vorobiev. Serious skills and good size but simply lacking the x-factor it takes to make it.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #94, Derek Boogaard.

#94's #s: 22 games, 1 goal, 1 assist, Even, 45 PIM.

Take the good: Boogaard snapped a 234 game goalless streak with a wide open, wobbling slapshot that beat Michal Neuvirth short side back in November. But he wasn't being paid $1.625 million this season to score, he was paid to be a pugilist and Hockeyfights has his fighting record at 4-2-1.

Take the bad: Not a single bout that Boogaard took part in was for any other reason but to justify his paycheck. He didn't defend his teammates, he didn't try to spark them or to spark the crowd. He averaged 4:32 of ice time as a pathetic sideshow who couldn't skate. He took a big punch from Matt Carkner in the beginning of December and was never heard from again. Brandon Prust - a top grinder and penalty killer - just had to undergo surgery on his shoulder having been forced into the enforcer role by Boogey's absence.

Take them both and then we have: A waste of a Ranger jersey and another failed free agent signing by Glen Sather. The era of the goon was long gone before Glen gave Boogey his deal and we have three more seasons of this lumbering loser.

Slap Shot Quote Of The Week R.I.P. Reg

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So who am I?

I am Ranger fan and season ticket holder who is more than a little obsessed with hockey. The first thing I can remember is watching a Ranger game with my dad, listening to him yell "Shoot the puck Barry!" I loathe the Islanders, hate everyone else in the Atlantic and despise Mmmaarrrttttyyyy and Cindy. While I am a objective journalist in real life (seriously), this is NOT a media site and is kept quite far from my profession; it is simply an outlet for me to let loose my opinions of the Blueshirts - very distinctly Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. My Ranger rantings and ravings have appeared on (or been linked to) such notable sites as the New York Times, Puck Daddy, Deadspin and NBC's Pro Hockey Talk - and I can't thank them enough. Comments and criticism are always welcome within the boundaries of good taste; feel free to e-mail me at TrueBlueFan329@gmail.com.And you should follow me on Twitter: @ScottyHockey.

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